Improvement in devices for administering pills



JOHN SULLIVAN.

' Improvement in Devices for Administering Pills.

121,684; v 7' Patented Dec. 5, 1871.

PATENT QFFICE.

JOHN SULLIVAN, OF THORNTON, CANADA.

IMPROVEMENT IN DEVICES FOR ADMINISTERING PILLS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 121,684, dated December 5, 1871.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN SULLIVAN, of Thornton, in the county of Sincoe and Province of Ontario, Canada, have invented a new and use ful' Improvement in a Device for Administering Pills and I do declare that the following is a true and accurate description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawing and to the letters of reference marked thereon and being apart of this specification, in which Figure l is a perspective view of my device, and Fig. 2 is a central vertical section of the same.

Like letters indicate like parts in each figure.

The nature of this invention relates to a de vice having for its object an easy and certain administration of pills to the patient; and it consists in the novel and peculiar construction of the same, which I will now proceed to describe.

In the drawing, A represents a vessel provided with a handle, 13, and spout C, in the general form of a tea-pot, but much smaller in size. The spout is flattened toward its extremity, to which is soldered, if it be made of metal, a downwardly-inclined nozzle, D, the shorter diameter of which should not exceed four-twenticths of an inch,for reasons which will be presently explained. To the end of the nozzle a horizontal mouth-piece, E, is secured, which is intersected at the top, near the nozzle, by an inclined pill-chute, F.

The difficulty of administering pills and powders to all children and very many adults is well known, to overcome which is the object of this invention, which is used in the following manner: The vessel is partially filled with tea, milk, or other palatable fluid. The attendant taking it by the handle in one hand, with the pill in the other, presents the mouth-piece to the mouth of the patient, tilts the vessel so that the patient can drink the fluid, dropping the pill down the chute, which is immediately swallowed by the patient with the fluid. If several pills are to be given they should be dropped in the chute at intervals, so that a swallow of the fluid may intervene, thus rendering their administration certain and without the knowledge of the patient. Powders may be given in like manner.

The object in flattening the mouth of the nozzle to the diameter given is that it shall form a trap, so that the pill cannot accidentally pass into the vessel. A perforated strainer in the nozzle might accomplish the same purpose, but it would diminish the flow of the fluid and impair the efficiency of the device. A strainer may be placed at the bottom of the spout, as shown, to prevent tealeaves, &c., from passing out. This device may be .made of any kind of metal, glass, china, or earthen-ware, and may be varied in form to suit the taste.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The device for administering pills, consisting, essentially, of the vessel A provided with handle B and spout C, the latter being extended to form the inclined nozzle D and mouth-piece E, intersected by the inclined pill-chute F, substantially as described.

JOHN SULLIVAN.

Witnesses HARRY S. SPRAGUE, 

